Bracket support



Nov. 19, 1946.

R. E. MCLEAN BRACKET ASUPPORT Filed Nov. 6,

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ROBEHTE/CLEAN Patented Nov. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRACKET SUPPORT Robert E. McLean, Fort Benning, Ga.

Application November 6, 1943, Serial No. 509,303

This invention relates generally to the class of supports and pertains particularly to improvements in wall attached brackets for the support of household utility devices such as rotary can openers, fruit juice extractors and the like.

The present invention constitutes a continuation in part of my pending application Ser. No.

484,626 led April 26, 1943, now Patent Number A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved wall attached bracket plate to which is detachably connected a swingable support for a rotary type can opener such as is disclosed in any one of my prior Patents 2,287,- 442; 2,294,507 and 2,314,506 or other bracket arm supported devices whereby such supporting bracket may be readily mounted in working position or dismounted as desired;

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a swinging bracket supported structure of the character stated, a novel hinge plate connected with said bracket and a permanent wall attached plate with means whereby the said hinge plate may be readily and quickly locked in position upon the wall attached plate and firmly held so that the bracket may be shifted as desired upon the hinge plate and the household implement carried by the bracket may be operated for the purpose for which it was designed, without danger of the bracket coming out of position.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specication,4 with the understanding that minor changes or modiiications may be made in the structure so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the essential features of the invention as exemplified in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view in front elevation of the wall attached bracket together with the support part mounted thereon, the implement supporting arm, forming a part of the bracket, being in transverse section.

-Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of the structure shown in the preceding gures.

Figure 4 is a view in front elevation of the hinge plate per se.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective ofthe fixed supporting plate.

Referring now more particularly to the draw- 9 Claims. (Cl. 248-289) ing the numeral I0 designates a supporting arm for a household implement such as a rotary can opener, juice extractor or the like as shown and described in my copending application previously referred to. Since the character of the implement to be supported upon the arm I Il has no connection with the present invention :an illustration and specific description of the same is considered unnecessary. At the inner end of the arm Ill there is formed a hinge sleeve II. This sleeve is here shown as being formed by turning back a portion of the arm I 0, shaping the turned back portion to form the cylindrical sleeve and Asecuring the end of the turned back portion to the side of the arm by rivets I 2V but it is to be understood that this specic construction is not essential as it will be readily obvious that the sleeve may be cast or molded in one piece with the arm.

The numeral s3 designates a plate which is designed to form a part of a hinge unit and to sup.

port an article such as the implement supporting arm se or any other device, the hinge structure per se forming no part of the invention of this application as such structure comprises the subject matter claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 484,626. This plate has extending forwardly from the top edge a tongue I4 in which is a central aperture I5, while the lower portion or edge has the centrally cut out forwardly bent lower tongue I6 in the center of which is an aperture Il coaxial with the aperture l5 above.

The depending portions I8 left at the lower sides of the plate by the cutting out and bending upwardly of the tongue I6, have their lower ends bent forwardly to form the horizontal supporting feet I8.

Connected between the tongues I4 and I6 and having its ends secured in the apertures I5 and Il' is a tubular hinge post I9 through which extends a pintle 20. As shown the space between the tongues I4 and I6 is only slightly greater than the length of the sleeve II and this sleeve encircles the hinge post I9 which supports the bracket arm in the manner illustrated in Figure 2. It will be readily apparent that the sleeve II has free turning movement around the tubular hinge post I9 and within the post the pintle 20 has axial movement for the purpose about to be described.

' Secured upon the lower end of the pntle 20 below the tongue I6 is a locking plate 2I which, as `shown in Figure i3, is of a width substantially `equal to the width of the hinge plate I3 and the forward edge of this locking plate is substantially semi-circular as shown and is bordered by the upstanding rim 22 which has a notch 23 in its edge midway between its ends and is inclined slightly downwardly from each side of this notch to the adjacent end.

Secured upon and enclosing a portion of the upper end of the pintle 2li above the tongue I4, is the downwardly opening hollow cap v2li `and encircling the upper end of the pintle and interposed between the top of this cap and the top of the fixed tubular hinge post I9, is the expansion spring 25. This spring constantly exerts an upward pressure upon the pintle so yas to move the lock plate upwardly and maintain the top edge of the rim 22 in contact with the lower edge of the arm Ii] and when the arm is centrally positioned as shown in Figure 1 its lower edge will be engaged in the notch 23 and will thus be held securely against swinging movement. In order to release the arm I0 to be swung either to the right or to the left in an out of the way position pressure is applied to the cap 2li to force the pintle downwardly against the tension of the spring 25 thus lowering the locking plate 2l to dis-engage the arm from the notch 23 so that the arm may be swung as desired. It will be readily seen that when itis desired to swing the arm back into operating position it will not be necessary to -push the pintle 2@ down since the'inolined top edge of the rim `22 acts as a earn and the lower edge of the varm will force the plate down until the arm reaches a position whereit-will be received at its lower edge in the securing notch 23.

ln'my copending application the hinge plate isy shown as secured directly to a wall or other suitable xed support and also there is shown therein a permanently mounted supporting bracket with which the hinge plate, constructed as shown'in the p-resent application, may be detacha-bly coupled. Such bracket is here illustrated and generally indicated by the reference character 2G. Figure 5 shows this bracket in perspective.

The mounting or supporting bracket 26 comprises a lback plate 21 having a portion Aof the center thereof pressed forwardly as indicated at 2S. From this forwardly pressed portion there is cut the integral forwardly projecting resilient l tongue 2S which must be liexed or bent rearwardly when the hinge plate I3 is mounted upon the supporting bracket in the manner shown in Figure 2.

At the top edge of the supporting bracket 26 the plate has extending forwardly therefrom, adjacent each vertical edge, an arm 3e which terminates in the short down turned lip 3l. The space between these arms 3@ is suilicient to receive the upp-er tongue I@ of the hinge plate and the length of each arm 3) is sufficient to engage the downturned lip 3l thereof against the forward face of the hinge plate when the latter is vertically' disposed upon the supporting bracket.

Atthe lower end of the supporting bracket 26, the plate has extending forwardly therefrom the relatively long arms 32, each of which terminates at its outer end Vin the up turned lip $3 and connecting these arms at the outer ends in the cross bar 3e.

The arms 32 may be formed as straight `outward extensions from the lower edge of the plate 2l preach may be shaped at its inner end to form the integral `spring loop 3.5 whereby added resiliency will be `established in the connection 4 between each arm 32 and the lower part of the mounting plate.

It will be noted that the arms S2 are of slightly greater length than the feet i8 of the hinge plate and that when the hinge plate is mounted upon the mounting bracket 26 each foot I8 rests upon the top of an arm 32 and is engaged at its forward edge behind the up turned lip 33.

In order to .conveniently mount the hinge plate in position `upon the supporting bracket 5 the top edge of the hinge plate i3' is engaged at each v,side of the tongue I4 against the under sides of 'the upper arms 3G and behind the down turned .lip SI, the body portion of the plate I3 extending outwardly and downwardly from the plate Z'I. This will dispose the feet i8' at an angle across the upturned lips $53 of the lower arms 32 and it will thus be seen that by then oscillating the bracket arm lll downwardly the hinge plate will have its lower edge swung in and the feet I8 will slide across the tongues 33 and will slip into position behind such tongues to rest Vupon the lower arms 32. At the same time the spring tongue '29 will be compressed and when the arm lil is released this tongue will urge the hinge plate outwardly and thus hold it securely in position.

In order to release the hinge plate from the supporting bracket it is necessary to spring the outer ends of the arms 32 downwardly sufficiently to release the tongues 33 from engagement with the forward ends of the feet I8 and this is aocomplished through the medium of the depend- ,f

ing tongue Sewhich functions as a handle to be grasped so as to ex vthe lower arms 32 downwardly and thus release the hinge plate.

As was pointed out in the prior application of which this application forms a continuation in part the hinge mounting for the utility device supporting arm Iii and the holding or locking means forthis arm is suchV that when the arm is locked in the forwardly extended working position it cannot slip from such position no matter what upward, downward or side strains are applied thereto. It can only be released by forcing the pintle 2l) downwardly so as to lower the locking plate away from the lower edge of the arm I Ii. It will also be apparent that the supporting bracket 2E and the hinge plate are so designed that when they are in interlocked relation the hinge plate cannot slip from position under the strains imposed thereon during the use of the utility device which is carried upon the arm Ill. However the hinge plate can be attached to the supporting bracket and removed therefrom easily and quickly and without exertion.

, It is to be noted that the raised portion 23 of bracket plate 2'! acts as a pump for the hinge plate I3 and that when the plate I3 is in position it will contact the portion 28, the tongue 29 only exerting additional pressure against the hinge plate-l3.

While an illustration has been made and the description given only of a hinge plate to which the supporting arm Il) is pivotally or hingedly coupled it is to be understood that the supporting bracket of the present invention is not to be limited to the use of a plate of this character as it will be readily obvious that there may be employed and supported by the bracket, a plate minus the tongues I4 and I6 and having the arm if! fixed directly to the face thereof or any other style of arm carrying plate might bemounted upon .the bracket if found convenient.

I claim:

1. A mounting of the character described comprising a plate designed to be ixed to a support and having spaced upper and lower forwardly extending arms terminating at their free ends respectively in downwardly and upwardly turned lips, an article supporting plate of a length to be positioned vertically between said arms and engaged at its top edge behind the down turned lip cf the upper arms, and means at the lower edge of the article supporting plate for engagement upon the lower arms and behind the upturned lips thereof.

2. A support as set forth in claim 1,. with resilient means carried by the xed plate and pressing outwardly against the article supporting plate to maintain a firm connection between the article supporting plate and said lips.

3. A supporting means as set forth in claim 1 in which the lower arms are yieldable to facilitate the disengagement of the upwardly extending lips from the said means engaged thereby.

4. A mounting means of the character stated, comprising a plate body designed to be secured to a xed support, a pair of horizontally spaced forwardly extending arms carried by the plate at its top edge and each terminating in a down turned lip, a pair of Vforwardly extending horizontally spaced arms carried by the plate at its lower edge and each terminating in an up turned lip, said lower arms being of greater length than the upper arms, an article carrying plate adapted to be positioned against the face of the first plate between the upper and lower pair of arms, said upper arms being of a length to extend across and engage the down turned lips thereof against the face of the second plate, and means carried `by the second plate and extending forwardly below the lower edge thereof for engagement upon the lower arms behind the up turned lips of the lower arms.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which each of the lower arms is shaped to provide a spring loop for facilitating the downward flexing of the lower arms.

6. A mounting means as set forth in claim 4: with a yieldable element carried by the first plate and maintained in flexed position by the second plate when the latter is mounted between the upper and lower pairs of arms whereby to secure the second plate rmly in position.

7. A mounting device of the character described, eomprising a plate body designed to be secured to a fixed support, a pair of arms integral with the top edge of the plate and extending forwardly therefrom, each of said arms terminating in a short downturned lip, a pair of arms extending forwardly from the bottom edge of the plate each in spaced parallel relation with one of the first arms and each terminating in a short up-turned lip, the last mentioned pair of arms being of a resilient character to facilitate flexing away from the rst mentioned arms for the insertion of a body between the pair of arms, and a member connected between the second mentioned pair of arms and extending downwardly therefrom to facilitate the downward flexing of the arms attached thereto.

8. A mounting device as set forth in claim '7, in which each of the second mentioned pair of arms is joined to the plate by a depending loop of the material of the arm, each of said depending loops forming a spring.

9. A mounting device as set forth in claim 7, with a, resilient tongue struck from the plate and projecting outwardly to be engaged by a body mounted between the pairs of armsand to urge said body outwardly into rm engagement with the tongues of the arms. 

